Former world heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson has been denied a boxing license by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. The decision means Tyson cannot challenge World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis of Britain on April 6 at the MGM Grand hotel in Las Vegas.

But the license denial Tuesday does not mean the fight is off because Tyson could be licensed by another state or another country.

The nearly three-hour long hearing focused on Tyson's history of violence inside and outside the ring. The Nevada State Athletic Commission's 4-1 vote came one week after Tyson and Lewis were involved in a melee at a New York news conference to formally announce the fight.

The implications of the decision were high for Las Vegas, which has been hit hard by a drop in travel after the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Promoters have said the fight would carry a $150 million purse, making it the richest bout in boxing history.

Separately, Las Vegas prosecutors are considering filing rape charges against Tyson stemming from the allegations of a local woman. Authorities are expected to make a decision on that case later this week.